Fourteen years ago, the state bought a splashy wildfire-fighting plane for $4 million -- it was considered a steal. But last year the state sold it for $445,009 – about 10 percent of the original purchase price. Now the buyer has it back on the market for $3.5 million.
The story of how North Carolina seems to have gotten soaked on the Canadair CL-215 “Super Scooper” deal is partly another example of how the bad economy has stopped many ambitious state government programs. And it raises questions about how the state has managed its fleet of aircraft. But it’s also the story of a battle-hardened plane flown by daredevil pilots with enough drama and heroism for the reality TV show "Ice Pilots." Read the full story here.
